


The Taste of Your Love

by JustAnotherNerd1820, lemondropss



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Coffehouse Au, Coffeshop/Soulmate AU, Falafels, First Kisses, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, POV Henry, Shared tastes, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Tooth Rotting Fluff, barista!Henry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:29:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25558132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherNerd1820/pseuds/JustAnotherNerd1820, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemondropss/pseuds/lemondropss
Summary: “Wherever his soulmate was, they were drinking a caramel frappuccino and they were nearby.There wasn’t another coffeeshop for several more blocks, and Henry didn’t think the connection reached that far. So that meant that whoever his soulmate was, they had gotten a caramel frappuccino from him. This was almost enough to cause a full blown panic attack in Henry, but he tried to keep his cool until the end of his shift, which wasn’t for much longer.”Henry is a barista and thinks he’s found his soulmate. The problem is, he doesn’t know who it is.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 15
Kudos: 137





	The Taste of Your Love

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. 
> 
> Just a wholesome Soulmate/Coffeeshop AU! We hope you enjoy <3

Henry watched as yet another happy couple came forward and ordered. He sighed, as it was the third pair he’d seen in his shift. He gazed longingly at soulmates walking away, giggling and talking. It was rather obvious who were soulmates and who was not—especially those who had only recently found each other. Their smiles didn’t have the plastered look of a polite mom who had three kids and needed the coffee just to get near to an acceptable time to drink wine, or the smiles of small children, pushing their coins across the counter to get a hot chocolate. No, they smiled as if they had found a piece of themselves that they never knew was missing, and now that they had found it, they realized how vital it was to their life. It was like seeing the stars return during a trip to the country, after a lifetime in a bright city. But it was better than that.

At least, that was what Henry had read. Admittedly, he was a bit of a romantic. He’d spent hours staying up reading books and articles on the topic, diving into even the cheesiest of rom-coms, looking for some sign that his soulmate was out there somewhere,  _ waiting _ .

The process of actually finding one’s soulmate varied greatly. Some people spent their whole lives in black and white until the first touch. Others had their soulmate's name or the first words they would ever speak to them. Henry researched every way you could find your soulmate could be found, searching his memory in fear that he’d already found them, and it was all too late now.

The bell on the door gave a little 'ding' and Henry glanced up from where he was contemplating his reflection in the shiny polish of the countertop. It was a new group, a boy and two girls. They'd obviously known each other for a long time and Henry was pained with an unexpected stab of jealousy. Almost worse than seeing soulmates having already found each other was a friend group who you could share coffee and good times with.

Henry had lived a sheltered life back in England, with only one person he could really call his friend. He had moved to America with Pez in hope that he might be finally able to find his freedom, and, with hope, his soulmate.

Henry rang up the cash register. “What can I get you?” he asked, plastering on a smile.

“A medium caramel frappuccino and two medium mocha coffees, if you don’t mind,” said one of the girls.

“Can I get a name?”

“June,” she said, swiping her card. She turned back to her friends. “You guys are paying me back, yeah?”

The boy with curly black hair put a hand over his heart and gaped at her, apparently offended. “Of  _ course _ . How dare you even think I wouldn’t?” June rolled her eyes and thanked Henry for taking her order, allowing him to take the next few customers.

“Hi, what can I get for you today?” Henry asked a woman with sunglasses and blonde hair who knows how many patrons later.

“I’ll have a small strawberry frappuccino if you don’t mind,” the woman said. 

“Name?”

“Chloe.” Henry clicked her order in, and as she was swiping her card, he stopped. He tasted something. It was rich, and a little too sweet. 

“Caramel?” he muttered under his breath. The taste was familiar, he’d tried the drink before, but he had no idea how he was tasting it now. It could have been just the scent, but no, he’d gotten used to the smell of sharp coffee and sweet drinks. This tasted… real.

“Um, no I said  _ strawberry  _ frappuccino.” The woman rolled her eyes. “Do I need to talk with your manager?”

“No, sorry, I meant something else. Your order is in, don’t worry.” Henry gestured to the side where the drinks were served, glad to have her gone so he could process this. Unfortunately, another customer stepped up before he could. While the man ordered his coffee, the distinct taste of caramel lingered. It was so strong, Henry didn’t understand what was going on. 

Until he did.  _ The Soulmate Phenomenon _ , Chapter 18: Shared Senses. Sometimes, if soulmates were close by, they could share senses, such as smell, hearing, or… taste. This meant that wherever his soulmate was, they were drinking a caramel frappuccino and they were  _ nearby _ .

There wasn’t another coffeeshop for several more blocks, and Henry didn’t think the connection reached that far. So that meant that whoever his soulmate was, they had gotten a caramel frappuccino from  _ him _ . This was almost enough to cause a full blown panic attack in Henry, but he tried to keep his cool until the end of his shift, which wasn’t for much longer.

Henry tried to search his memory of the person who had ordered the drink. He  _ distinctly  _ remembered ringing it up, but to who? What did they look like? It wasn’t his job to remember every person who came to the shop, they’re just customers. Except when they’re not. Except when that seemingly insignificant customer ends up being your soulmate. Henry silently cursed himself for not being more attentive.

The taste of caramel faded after a few more minutes, and Henry assumed this was because his soulmake had either finished the drink or was too far away for the connection to stay intact. This was incredibly disappointing, for even though Henry had had the drink countless times before, this was different.

They had been alright, of course, but no caramel frappuccino he’d ever had tasted as good as that one did. A light of hope glowed in Henry’s heart. His soulmate was close, so close, and it was only a matter of time before they met again.

Henry closed up the shop as normal. He tried to keep open for as long as possible, egging the hours on in hope that the boy or girl—which was it?—returned. Soon enough, it was time to hang up his apron and head home in defeat.

As soon as he got to the flat he and Pez shared, he opened his computer and did further research on the Soulmate Phenomenon, focusing on the taste aspect. He found that, as he had learned before, that sometimes soulmates in a close distance could sense the same things, like tasting a phantom of food that their soulmate is eating.

Henry pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure if he wanted the power to go away, as the frappuccino had tasted so much better when he knew his soulmate was enjoying the same thing. That night, he went to bed dreaming of who his soulmate could be.

When Henry woke up the next day, he practically jumped out of bed-ready to hunt down his soulmate. As he walked to work, panic began bubbling in the pit of his stomach—what if they were only there for a day? On vacation? Or even worse, what if they died? What if they were super old? Or didn’t want the same things he did?

He'd heard of soulmates being asexual couplings, and while he didn't have any problem with that, it wasn't what he was hoping for. Forcing down the nerves, Henry opened up the shop, vowing to himself that he would pay extremely close attention to the people and their orders. He wouldn't let his soulmate be the reason he got fired from being too distracted to work, but he also didn’t want to let his job be the reason he wouldn't find his soulmate. Black coffee, pink lemonade, mocha, hot chocolate. Henry smiled at the small boy who carefully counted his coins before handing them over. Each drink brought a new small rush of hope, only to be dashed by the regular taste of his tongue in his mouth as each suspect sipped and nothing happened.

He put down an order for a caramel frappuccino without thinking, and it was only as the person walked away that he remembered that that was the taste he had in his mouth the night before. He stared intently—maybe a little  _ too _ intently after them, watching them take a sip. His heart skipped as the person tipped the cup back… and… nothing. The person glanced back, gave a "thanks for my drink, but you're kind of creepy so I'm just going to make a polite grimace at you," smile, and walked away. Henry sighed. The whole thing probably was just a fluke. He just imagined the taste last night, that’s all. No one was in the shop, and Henry stared out the window, wishing with all his might for his soulmate to come in.

A group of three came up to the door, making the bell chime as they walked in. Henry immediately straightened up, he still had to be professional. They came up to the counter, and something clicked in Henry's brain—he definitely remembered these people from yesterday.  _ Even so _ , he reminded himself. _ There are a lot of regulars you don't know _ . One of the girls got a black tea—Henry thought he heard someone refer to her as Nora—and the other two got coffees. He handed them their drinks, and as he turned away, he tasted it. Coffee. With a tiny bit of cream, and just a little bit of sugar. Henry wasn't really one for the bitter taste, but darn that was the best coffee he had ever tasted. If he had to pick a drink to only drink for the rest of his life, he'd pick this one. Darting his tongue over his lips, he glanced at the clock, then back at the group. He had fifteen minutes to his break. They'd be gone by then. He cursed as they walked away, and the other barista swatted him on the back of the head with an apron string. Henry sighed, resigned to feeling the lingering taste of the best coffee he had ever had in his life.

* * *

The walk home wasn't fun. Henry kept hoping to taste that miraculous taste again. Coffee, or a caramel frappuccino. Or, even better, the taste of his soulmate's lips on his. Gosh that'd be great. But you don't have your soulmate, a tiny voice whispered inside him. Well… Henry tried to come up with a spicy retort to that thought, but he couldn't. That put him in a bad mood, and by the time he got to his apartment with Pez, he had a terrible temper.

“Hey, Henry!” called Pez from the other room. A moment later, he came back to the door. “I’m ordering pizza, it should be here in a few minutes.”

Henry gave a forced smile. “Great.” He threw his bag down on a chair, and it must have been too hard because Pez immediately picked up that he wasn’t as relaxed as usual.

“What’s wrong?” Pez asked, his tone veering on teasing.

“Nothing, I’m fine.” Henry tried to escape to his bedroom, but Pez caught him by the collar and spun him around dramatically.

“Don’t think you can lie to me. Do you want to talk about it?”

Henry shoved Pez’s arm off. “ _ No _ , I don’t, thank you very much.” Henry went to the kitchen fridge and pulled out a can of Coke, then a shot glass. Being overly moody, he poured the soda into the cup, drank it, and slammed the glass down.

Pez had followed him and put his arms over the countertop. “C’mon, Henry, don’t keep me in the dark. What happened? Did you meet someone cute at work and you’re not sure if you’ll ever see them again?”

“It’s none of your business,” Henry snapped, too quickly, again.

“Ah, so you  _ did _ ! Worried they aren’t your soulmate?” Henry groaned and finally gave in.

“Just the opposite, actually. I think I found my soulmate, but I don’t know who they are! It’s incredibly frustrating.”

Pez looked rapt in the story. “Fascinating.”

“Not really.”

“Do you want me to come with you to work tomorrow, see if I can be moral support?”

“No, that’s fine,” Henry said, turning to retreat to his room. “Tell me when the pizza gets here.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pez give a concerned look. 

* * *

The next day, Henry made sure to be extra prepared to find his soulmate. He combed his hair—not that it wasn’t a thing he made sure to do daily—and tucked in his shirt. At work, he put extra care into his apron’s tie, getting Rebbecca, his coworker, to help him with it.

“What’s the occasion?” she asked him.

“No occasion,” Henry said as he tried to ruffle his hair up more. Maybe the meticulous combing was a bad idea. He didn’t want to make it seem like he was trying too hard. Even though he was trying very hard.

Doubts plagued him from the back of his mind. There was the ever present fear that his soulmate just wouldn’t show up that day, and never would again. And even if they did come, what if they didn’t even want Henry for a soulmate?

_ No _ , he tells the thoughts,  _ my soulmate will come, and they’ll want me. They’re my  _ soulmate _ , after all _ . This time Henry doesn’t need to analyze the faces of every new patron. He knew who he was looking for. He’d thought of them last night, trying to call every memory of their images.

But which of them was it? He had tasted coffee, but two in the group had ordered it. Was his soulmate the brown girl with long curly hair and bright brown eyes, or the boy with many of the same features—were they siblings?—but with a twinkle in his eyes that made it seem like he thought everyday was nothing but a pleasure to experience. He would be fine with either honestly. Well, not fine. He'd be amazing. Your soulmate was your other half. Your partner for life.

It made him a little dizzy to think about. One of those two would end up with him  _ forever _ . Of course, they were meant for each other by natural connection. That was just the way soulmates worked. But there was still the whole matter of falling in love. And staying in love. Not that it wasn't all thrilling, just daunting too.

Customers shuffled through. Not them. Not them. Not them either.

Henry glanced at the clock again. His shift was ticking away. Like the time during a math test. Any other day you want it to speed time up to get through. But on exam days, you wished you could have just five extra minutes. Usually, Henry was glad when his hours ended. Then he could write or get his homework done. Today however, he wished his shift could go on for as long as possible in hopes that the group would come back.

Twenty minutes to go and Henry was starting to lose hope. A bell at the door told him someone new had entered. He glanced up quickly, his heart pounding in his chest.  _ It was them.  _ As they got gradually closer, Henry could make out more of their conversation.

They were arguing over something. Well, not really arguing, they were more annoyed at each other than anything else.

“Sure, the coffee’s fine but I don’t want to keep coming here every day,” said the girl with the black hair. Her name was June, she had taken the order the first time Henry had seen her. Since he had a name for her, she felt more familiar.

“It’s true,” said the other girl in the group. Henry remembered from last time hearing her name was Nora. “There are  _ other _ shops, Alex.”  _ Alex _ . Henry’s already racing heart sped up.

“Well, yeah, but this one has the best coffee!” he said.

“It really doesn’t.” June rolled her eyes with a smile, like she knew something more.

“Look, June, I just—” the trio made it up to the counter. Alex bumped into it, because his face had been turned in the argument. He bent over it only slightly and looked up to Henry, his curls falling over his face. “Hi!” he squeaked out. Realizing his mistake, he cleared his throat and started over, steadying himself. “I mean, hello, sorry.”

Henry managed to stifle a giggle. It was pretty endearing, especially knowing that Alex could be his soulmate. Was he interested in Henry without even knowing that? Unlikely, but the thought sent a warm feeling in Henry’s heart.

“Hi,” said Henry, keeping his professional demeanor. “What can I get for you guys?” 

June started looting around her bag—for a wallet, presumably. “Coffee for me, iced tea for Nora, and Alex...” she trailed off, waiting for Alex to come up with his own order.

“I’ll have a raspberry lemonade, a brownie, and a—”

“We’re not  _ rich _ ,” June hissed warningly.

Alex gave her a look before glancing back to Henry to finalize his order. “Just the lemonade, then.”

“A name for your order.”

“Alex,” the boy grinned wildly, causing Henry to grin too.

“Coming right up!” Henry watched the trio turn away before he started making the drinks. After a brief moment of consideration, he took out a brownie from the case and set it in a napkin.

When he was finished with the drinks, he decided he needed to do one more thing extra. He couldn’t let them go without another word again. June wanted the coffee and Alex had the lemonade…

Henry uncapped a sharpie and scribbled a symbol on top of both of the lids. It was an infinity sign with a heart in the middle, the universal symbol for soulmates. After the symbols, he put a question mark.  _ Are you my soulmate? _

“Coffee, iced tea, and a raspberry lemonade for Alex!” The trio was sitting at the closest table to the counter, so Alex was able to reach Henry in moments. June and Nora were close after him.

He gave Nora her iced tea first, and handed Alex and June theirs at the same time. He waited with wide eyes. June took hers and immediately went to swig her coffee. She hadn't seen the note yet, and Henry waited with baited breath. Then Alex stopped her arm after she had taken her first sip and pointed to the lid. He showed her his too. He turned back to Henry, and his face lit up. They both knew now, but just to be sure, Alex stuck his straw between his lips. Time seemed to slow as the pink liquid darkened the green straw.

And then. An explosion of raspberry and lemon. Alex locked eyes with Henry.  _ You? _ He mouthed, his lips forming a perfect “o” at the end of his word. Henry tried not to look too much like an idiot. He had found his Holy Grail, and his Holy Grail probably thought that he was a moron because Henry was smiling so much. He was only able to give a slow nodd.

Alex came closer toward the counter, handing off his lemonade to Nora. His thighs were pressed against the cool granite top. No one was in the line, and Rebecca was in the back checking her phone. The shop was empty except for him, Alex, Nora, and June, though it felt like the only two people in the whole word were Henry and his soulmate.

Henry saw a million different emotions cross Alex’s face. Pure joy, excitement, adoration, and the slightest hint of fear? Henry did have long to deduct why Alex was feeling this way, because moments later strong hands lay pressed against both of his cheeks and he was being pulled in.

If Henry had thought before that the shared taste of caramel and raspberry was divine, then they had nothing on the taste of Alex’s lips on his. It was indescribable, and it felt like everything was coming into place, every anxious thought or worry had been resolved, and nothing would be able to hurt him ever again, not with Alex by his side.

By the time the two pulled away, June and Nora were idly scrolling through their phones in the corner of the shop.

“My shift is almost over,” said Henry, pressing his forehead to Alex’s. “I just have to close up.”

“I’ll wait for you.” They shared a last kiss before Alex turned back to his friends, a stupid grin shining over his face.

Henry heard June and Nora saying something about needing to finish an assignment, but they gave him a big thumbs up before they left. Meanwhile, Alex decided to stick close to Henry’s side as he wiped off the counters and threw out old pastries, though Alex was more than happy making sure they didn’t go to waste. With every bite he looked expectantly to Henry, knowing he could taste the sweet—while slightly stale—treats.

When Henry decided everything was properly clean, he called out to Rebecca that he was going to be off. She responded by finally coming out of the back and hanging up her apron. She met the boys with momentarily confused glances, then understanding, which led to her simply leaving the shop without much of a care.

Once she was gone, Alex laced his fingers with Henry’s and squeezed tightly. “I’m Henry, by the way. I don’t think I’ve said.”

“You haven’t. It’s a nice name.” Henry rolled his eyes as he locked the door behind them.

“Not when you add it with all my middle and last names.”

“And what would those be?” Alex asked. The summer heat was thick, but comfortable. The sky was dark and clear, a few stars managing to peek through,

“Henry George Edward James Monstchristen-Windsor-Fox.” 

Alex snorted. “Your parents just couldn’t pick, could they?”

Henry shook his head and laughed too. “No, I guess not.”

“Maybe one day we can add Claermont-Diaz to the end of that name?” Alex wiggled his eyebrows while Henry pretended to look taken aback.

“Alex, we’ve only just met!” 

The curly haired boy shrugged and looked off into the distance. “I dunno, feels like I’ve known you a long time.”

Henry smiled warmly. “We’ll see. But for now...” He turned and pressed his lips against Alex’s, who slowly backed him up into the brick wall behind them. It was wild and wonderful and Henry couldn’t have asked for anything else at that moment. Alex was all he needed.

Gently, shyly, Henry stroked Alex's cheeks, and began to run his hand through the other boy's curls. "Do you want to come to my place?" Pez wouldn't be home, having promised Henry some space to have with his soulmate that evening.

Alex smiled broadly, and Henry couldn't imagine why anyone would want to see Mona Lisa's almost smile when they could see Alex's full one. "I would love to. Do you keep turkeys though? I have to make sure, because I'm allergic."

"Um… no. I don't keep turkeys in my Washington D.C. apartment. There wouldn't be enough space for me and my housemate."

Henry winced as he realized his choice of words. "Not, like, bedmate. We're just friends. I swear. I've never even kissed anyone before you. Oh my gosh I sound so weird. Please don't run away."

Alex was laughing as he leaned over and kissed Henry on the nose. "It's all right. Sweetheart. Babe. Bro." He paused. "We'll keep looking."

"Looking for what?" asked Henry, beginning to lead Alex to his place, relieved that he wasn't being abandoned.

"Oh. A pet name. Like honey or baby or… or…"

"Bunny?" Henry supplied.

"Yeah."

They lapsed in silence for a while until they got to the door of the apartment. Henry took a deep internal breath, and unlocked the door. It was quiet. Pez was nowhere in sight, as promised. He turned on the light, and then he realized what a mess the house really was. "Sorry it's there's so much stuff on the floor," Henry muttered as he pulled out cups to make tea. "I wasn't really expecting company."

This, of course, was a lie, but Henry figured Alex really would run away if he found out that Henry had been practically stalking and obsessing over him for the past twenty four hours.

"Oh it's fine. You should see my place. It's an absolute dump."

"Most of this isn't even mine. It's all Pez's—he's the one who lives with me."

"Oh good, then you can pick up after me when we move in together."

Henry was slightly taken aback that his soulmate had thought so far ahead as well, but then he realized that they were  _ soulmates. _ They practically had the same brain _. _ He put the water on the stove to boil, and then glanced at Alex. "Do you, uh, want to get something for dinner? I know a great falafel place that I've ordered from so many times they do free delivery for me."

Alex laughed again, and Henry decided to make it his life's goal to make Alex laugh and smile as much as possible. He was so very, very cute.

"That sounds good," replied Alex, curls bouncing as he nodded. "May I kiss you again?"

"Of course," answered Henry.

They leaned in, and kissed so passionately and full of love that it topped even Buttercup and Wesley's kiss from  _ The Princess Bride _ . And both Henry and Alex knew it.

They paused just to take in the falafels. Gentle conversation was held over the dinner **_,_ ** teasing remarks and raving over the food. Their shared tastes had not quite yet dulled (they ordered the same type to avoid much confusion), but in a few days after their first kiss, their tastes would be able to become individual again. Henry didn’t mind, all that mattered was that he finally found his soulmate, and Alex had found him.

When their plates had been cleaned, Henry stood awkwardly. “So do you want to...”

Alex grinned, standing and taking Henry’s arm. “Yeah.”

They made their way into the bedroom, with Henry gently closing the door behind him and Alex, just in case Pez came home early. They began to kiss heavily, deepening each kiss with another, barely pausing for air. They began undressing, slowly, confusedly, with kisses muddling them both. Their brains were releasing so many happy chemicals it was like being drunk.

When they were done, they lay beside each other on the bed, grinning stupidly, full of the taste of the other.

"I love you," Henry breathed

"I love you too."

And Henry didn’t doubt it at all.

**Author's Note:**

> We hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments always bring a smile to our days so if you liked it don’t be afraid to drop one!


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